Color Plane Registration Error Measurement Using Symmetric Dot Patterns
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current color printing technologies face challenges in accurately measuring and adjusting for color plane registration (CPR) errors due to human intervention, imaging system errors, and the need for high-resolution imaging, which increases complexity and cost.
Innovation Solution
A printing system with a CPR error module that prints predetermined patterns of dots symmetrically around a common center of gravity, uses image capture devices to analyze the centers of gravity, and averages measurements to minimize errors, while being insensitive to scaling and skew, and employs adaptive binarization and pattern matching to determine CPR errors.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If manual methods are used to measure CPR error by printing lines with known offsets and having an operator check alignment, then human intervention eliminates the need for complex imaging systems, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to human inaccuracies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual visual inspection with an automated image analysis system that uses digital image processing algorithms to detect printed marks and calculate CPR errors, substituting human mechanical judgment with computational analysis to eliminate human inaccuracies while maintaining measurement precision
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy of the printed marks through imaging and analyzes this copy using software algorithms, allowing the measurement process to be performed on a digital representation rather than requiring direct physical measurement, thereby enabling automated analysis without human intervention
2Extent of automation
If automated methods using imaging devices are used to capture images of printed marks, then human intervention is eliminated, but measurement accuracy deteriorates due to imaging system errors such as scaling and skew
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary corrections for scaling and skew errors based on fiducial marks before performing the actual CPR error measurement, proactively compensating for known imaging system distortions to prevent them from affecting the final measurement accuracy
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces fiducial marks as intermediary reference elements that mediate between the imaging system and the printed marks, providing a known reference framework that allows the system to detect and correct for imaging distortions such as scaling and skew
3Measurement precision
If high resolution imaging scanners are used to obtain desired measurement accuracy, then CPR error measurement precision improves, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameter of mark size in the printed test pattern to be larger than traditionally used, which allows accurate measurement with lower resolution imaging scanners, thereby achieving the desired measurement precision without requiring complex high-resolution scanning equipment
Solution Approach 2:
The patent concentrates measurement information into localized fiducial marks with high contrast and specific geometric features that can be accurately detected even with lower resolution imaging, rather than requiring high resolution across the entire image area
4Extent of automation
If optical density measurements are used to determine CPR error, then automated measurement is achieved, but accuracy deteriorates due to variations in background reflectance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses printed marks with specific color properties and high contrast characteristics that make them distinguishable from the background through their optical properties, allowing the imaging system to differentiate marks from varying backgrounds and maintain measurement accuracy despite reflectance variations
Data Source
AI summary
A color plane registration error method and system include printing a plurality of predetermined patterns of dots, each predetermined pattern having the respective dots arranged symmetrically around a common center of gravity. The center of gravity of each of the printed patterns and the distances between centers of gravity of respective patterns are determined to measure the color plane registration error.